Abstract
Among the various types of photographic image produced in Africa by African practitioners, the ID picture (or passport photo) has been the most widespread ever since the introduction of photography at the end of the 19th century. As far as photographers are concerned, the production of this kind of picture has always represented a major part of their work, as is the case for this Ivoirian studio photographer whose practice we are studying in detail. It is argued that the ID picture, because of its insertion in legal structures as a source of evidence guaranteed by the State, has played an important role in the way photographic images have been perceived as mimetic reflections of reality by many African people. The institution of such a régime of photographic truth had important consequences for the rise of modern collective and individual identities in Africa and the building up of visual cultures oriented towards more realistic representations of the world.
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